My friend's mom made it a long time ago and it was excellent! When I went home I tried making it for my family, but it wasn't nearly as good.... my seasoning was lacking a lot. I want to try making it again, but I'm not sure what spices/herbs to use. Does somebody know what German cooks put in this dish? I should add that it is NOT meatballs, only the above ingredients, and it's more like a casserole.

My Croatian friend's mother made a cabbage roll receipe with the same ingredients and it was super delish. She browned the meat with S&P and some smokey paprika, then added the uncooked rice. After boiling the cabbage to get the leaves off she just stuffed the cabbage leaves and rolled them up. Then she placed then in either a pot for the stove or a casserole dish for the oven and poured the sauerkraut over top. She added a small piece of smoked meat in with everything and just cooked for about 45 min. I like to use 2 different sauerkrauts......the Bicks brand because it is really tangy and another european style which is milder. A very nice change from the typical cabbage rolls in tomatoe sauce.

German Meatballs with Sauerkraut The original version of this recipe came from A Taste of Country cookbook. Prep time includes setting time for meatballs to chill. 2¼ hours 1½ hours prep 6 servings 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef 1/2 lb ground pork 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 3/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (more to taste) 1 teaspoon garlic granules 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup milk 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 (32 ounce) jar sauerkraut, undrained,not canned if avoidable water or white wine, as needed additional chopped parsley (to garnish) (optional) hot buttered boiled potatoes, as accompaniment 1. In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef and pork, onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire, egg, and milk. 2. Shape into 1½" to 2" meatballs, and chill until set. 3. Heat the oil in a large skillet, and brown the meatballs on all sides. 4. Remove meatballs, and drain fat from pan, leaving browned bits in bottom. 5. Add sauerkraut and juice to skillet, and top with meatballs. 6. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are done. 7. Add water or wine if necessary to keep sauerkraut moist. 8. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish. 9. Serve with buttered boiled potatoes. ======================================== German Meatloaf (Falscher Hase) "False Hare" This is a "traditional" recipe which uses ground beef, ground pork and ground veal. 55 min 10 min prep 4 servings 1/2 lb lean ground beef 1/2 lb ground lean pork 1 medium onion, chopped 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs 3 tablespoons cold water 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon prepared mustard 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 3 peeled hardboiled egg 4 slices bacon (cube 2 strips; cut 2 strips in half) 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup beef broth SAUCE 1/4 cup hot water 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup sour cream Mix together ground meats, onion, bread crumbs, 3 Tablespoons cold water, and eggs. Flavor with salt, praprika, mustard, and parsley. Blend ingredients thoroughly. Flatten out meat mixture in the shape of a square; about 8 X 8 inches. Arrange whole hard-boiled eggs in a row along the middle of the meat. Fold sides of meat pattie over the eggs. Shape meat carefully into a loaf, resembling a flat bread loaf. Cook cubed bacon in a Dutch oven about 2 minutes. Carefully add the vegetable oil, and heat. Place meatloaf in the Dutch oven and cook until browned on all sides. Cut remaining bacon strips in half and arrange over the top of the meatloaf. Place in uncovered Dutch oven in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30-45 minutes. While meat is baking, gradually pour hot beef broth over the top of the meatloaf; brush occasionally with pan drippings. When done remove meat to a preheated platter and keep it warm. Add 1/4 cup of hot water to pan and scrape all particles from the bottom. Bring to a gentle boil. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and add to pan. Cook until bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Reheat to warm (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the sauce (on the side), separately.

I looked around for a recipe containing (specifically) ground beef and sauerkraut, and I came up with various versions of this (simply called "Sauerkraut with Ground Beef"): 1 small onion, chopped 1 pound hamburger 1/2 cup uncooked rice 1 small can sauerkraut 1 can water 3 tablespoons shortening 1 tablespoon flour pepper to taste Mix meat, rice and chopped onion and pepper into balls. Place in pan. Cover with sauerkraut and water. Simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Make roux; heat shortening, add flour and cook until brown. Mix with meat balls and kraut. Cook a short while longer; 5 to 8 minutes being careful not to burn. Serve with boiled potatoes. Serves 4. ---as you can see, the recipe calls for very minimal amounts of seasoning. Sauerkraut is pretty potent all by itself. To give it a more German "flair", you could prepare it with a small amount--maybe 1/2 a teaspoon--of dried caraway seeds. That would add a distinct flavor and aroma.

Ground Beef Rice and Cabbage Hot Pot Recipe Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1 cup finely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup ketchup 3 cups finely chopped or shredded cabbage 1 cup long-grain white rice 1 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Salt to taste Directions: In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion, till meat is brown and onion is tender, stirring frequently. Drain. Transfer meat mixture to crockpot. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir to mix well. Cover and cook on LOW setting 5 1/2 to 6 hours. Remove bay leaf. This recipe for Ground Beef Rice and Cabbage Hot Pot serves/makes 6